Tom King (musician)
Thomas R. King (July 13, 1942 – April 23, 2011)[1][2] was an American songwriter, guitarist, and arranger. He founded the 1960s rock band The Outsiders, and co-wrote the band's biggest hit song, "Time Won't Let Me".
Life and career[]
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, King attended East Cleveland's Shaw High School in the late 1950s. He formed The Starfires, also known as Tom King & the Starfires, at the age of 15. He formed the rock band The Outsiders in 1965, as a continuation of The Starfires. King co-wrote the band's 1966 hit "Time Won't Let Me", from the album of the same name, with brother-in-law Chet Kelley. The song spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 5, and selling over a million copies.[3] Iggy Pop redid the song on his album Party in 1981, then The Smithereens also had a hit with the song, remaking it in 1994. King won a BMI award for the song having been played on the radio over four million times.[4]
King died at a nursing home in Wickliffe, Ohio on April 23, 2011 at the age of 68.[5] He suffered from congestive heart failure.[4]
References[]
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Tom King Cleveland Rock Pioneer Dies" clevescene.com 25 April 2011
- ^ Davis, Dave (April 25, 2011). "Cleveland rocker Tom King is dead at 68". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Video: "Time Won't Let Me" songwriter dies". WTAM. April 25, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ "Passings: Harold Garfinkel, Gerald Allison, Tom King, Ronald D. Asmus, Christian Ferry" latimes.com 5 May 2011
- 1942 births
- 2011 deaths
- American rock songwriters
- American rock guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American rock singers
- American male singer-songwriters
- American singer-songwriters
- Musicians from Cleveland
- Songwriters from Ohio
- Guitarists from Ohio
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians